Demographics

Brisbane is one of the fastest-growing capital cities in Australia in terms of population and employment. Our residents are young and skilled, highly educated and culturally diverse.

Population and growth

South East Queensland is one of Australia’s largest metropolitan regions, comprising 3.1 million people, of which approximately 70 per cent reside in the Greater Brisbane area.

The Greater Brisbane population has grown rapidly over the past decade, now totalling more than 2 million people.

The region is set to continue to be one of Australia’s fastest-growing, with the Queensland Government forecasting Brisbane’s population to grow to nearly 3 million by 2031.

Our residents

Brisbane provides a vast talent pool from which business can draw – the share of Brisbane’s working age population (15 to 64 years) is close to 70 per cent, higher than the Australian average and equal to over 1.4 million people.

Brisbane’s population is extremely well-educated – more than 330,000 residents hold a university degree (bachelor level or higher), equivalent to 20 per cent of the adult population.

Our community is extremely multicultural, with a quarter of Brisbane’s population born overseas and more than 17 per cent of households speaking a language other than English at home. Cantonese, Italian, Mandarin, Samoan and Vietnamese are among the most commonly spoken languages.

Brisbane, Australia, is a thriving multicultural city and successful host of the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit. A global hub in scientific innovation, mining and resources, technology, education, meetings and incentives and cultural attractions, Brisbane is committed to strengthening international trade and commerce.